Automatic engine control.



J. J. RIPPER & J. BORDfANDEB.

AUTOMATIC ENGINE CONTROL. APPLIOATIOH FILED APR. 27, 1912.

Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

'fiwem ta To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STA P T- NTJ FFIGE.

JOHN J". RIPPER AND J BORNANDER, OF'FELLOWS, CALIFORNIA.

AQTOMATIC ENGINE CONTROL.

Beitknown that we, J on): J. RIPPER and Joan- Boim'anonn, ot-h citizens of the United States, resid g at Fellows, in'the county of Kern and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Engine Control, of which the following is a specification.

This invention'relates to an apparatus for automatically controlling reciprocating en gines;

It is t he object of this invention to provide an. ttachment for engines of the reciprocating type, by means of which the driving power may be automatically shut off when the englne begins to race from any cause, thereby doing away withpthe necessity of an attendant. 1 A

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation 'of a steam engine of the reciprocating type,'*showing the invention as appliedi Fig; 2 is a detail in elevation of the throttle valve and its connections. Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of the trip mechanism. Fig. t is a detail in perspective of a tension adjustment. Fig, 5

is a detail section on the line XX, Fig. 2.

In the drawings, A represents the engine cylinder of a steam engine, in which a 'piston-rod B is reciprocably mounted in the usual manner, and which piston-rod is connected to a cross-head C slidably mounted in guides D. A throttle valve 2, of any suitable description, is mounted on a feed pipe 3, through which steam is delivered to the engine cylinder A in the usual manner; the throttle valve 2 preferably being the'ordinary cut-off valve, the stem ofwliich is provided with a hand-wheel 4. The periphery of the hand-wheel 4; is formed with a series of notches or teeth 5, which are designed. to be engaged by a catch 6, which catch is in the form of a bell-crank lever and is mounted to swing horizontally on a vertical standaid '7, rigidly mounted in the cylinder A.

\Vound on a drum carried by.the handwheel 4 is a cable or cord 8. one end of which is attached to the drum; a weight 9 being secured to and suspended from the other end of the cord 8 in such manner as to operate to rotate the hand-wheel L and nor- Specification a: r ce-rs raw. I 'PatentedSept.3,1912.. Application filed. Apri127, 1912. Serial No. s9a,72s.-

position; The catch 6 is designed to beengaged with the notches '5 in the hand-wheel 4- to securely hold the latter against move-' ment andtherehy retain the throttle valve in anopen position; the extent of opening of the throttle'valve 2 being adjusted toa'ny' desired degree by engaging the hand-wheel- 45 with the catch 6 at any suitable point on its periphery. The catch 6 acts to holdthe hand-wheel 4 of'the throttle in a fixed or locked position in opposition to the rotating action of the Weight 9. A

Connected to the outer end of the catch 6 is a link rod 10 which extends horizontally over the engine cylinder A and is connected at its outer end to a bell-crank leverl1,in0unted to rock horizontally on a standard '12 rig idly attached to the engine cylinder A. The link rod 10 is provided with a turn-buckle justed in the usualmanner.

'lhe'hell-crank lever 11 constitutes a" trip" which is designed to'be actuated, 'as will he later described, to operate the catch'G and the comiecting-rod 10 to throw the catch 6 mally retain the throttle valve in its closed out of engagen'ient with the hand-wheel 4."

The means for operating the trip ll is carried by the cross-head (J, and is here shown as consisting of a horizontally extending rod 14. adjnstably mounted on the crors head G, on the outer end of which is-carried an arin 15 pivolally connected there-' with and which normally extends in a vertical position, as shown in Fig. l. A shoulder 16 formed on the arm 15 adjacent to i-'.- pivotal connection with the-rod l t is engagcd by the latter to liinit'the movement of the arm 15 in one direction, so that-it will be normally retained in a vertical position by means of a; helical spring 17 The spring 17 is connected to the arm 15 adjacent. to its upper end and is connected to a rod '18, which rod is adjuslably mounted on a plate 19 carried on the rod 14; the rod 18 being threaded at its lower end and fitted with jam-nuts 20 on each side of the plate 19, so that it may be adjusted to regulate the tension ol the spring 17. The outer end of the lever 1.5 is provided with a weight 21, which is here shown as formed by enlarging the outer end of the arm.

ln the operation of the invention, the throttle valve 2 is set in lhe desiredopen position, with the catch (3 engaging the hand- 75 13, by means of which its length maybe a'd-i wheel 4. The engine in operating reciprocates the cross-head C1 in the well known manner, carrying the rod 14 therewith. The cross-head C and the rod 1a in moving on their rearward stroke, act to impel the weighted end of the arm'.15 at the end of the stroke by reason of its acquired momenturn, so that the upper end of the arm 15 will continue to, move a short distance in '10 the direction of the back s'troke'of the crosshead C at-the termination of the stroke the arm 15 'rockin'g' on its pivotal mouiiting onthe rod 14 in opposition to the sprin 17. The spring 17 is tensionedby means 0 the 15 jam-nuts 20 on the rod '18,-so as to limit the forward impelled movement of the arm 15;

the-distance of the impelled travel otthe arm 15 in any case being governed by the speed of travel of the cross-head Gand the 20 consequent impetus given the weighted arm thereby. The outer arin of the trip 11 is positioned in alinement with the path of travel of the weight- 21 on the upper end of Y the arm 15 in such a manner that when the i 25 speed of the cross-head C is increased beyond the normal, the weight 21 will be impelled snfiiciently far to throw it forcibly into contact with the trip 11, thereby rooking the latter on its pivotso as to actuate the catch 6 through the rod 10 and disenga e it from the hand-wheel 4. This being done the weight 9 actsthrough the cord 8 to rotate the hand-wheel 4; in such a direction as to operate 'the throttle valve 2-, and

thereby out off the supply'ot steam to the .tion, and means operated by a-reciprocatmg opening means to close the valve, said :la stf what we claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent isp 1. The combination with a cut-ofi valve, of a reciprocating engine, means for nora. mally holding the valve in its closedposi-i 5opart of the engine for releasing said valve named means comprising an impulse a'r carried by a reciprocating part-of-the-e gine, a pivotally mounted trip havinganarmz' disposed in the path of said reciprocating i part, a pivotally mounted lever and ifi'eans connecting thesame with another arm of said trip, and a notched memberfixed to the 60. 2;;

valve and adapted to be enga ed .by an arm of said lever to thereby hol' the valve in its open position in opposition to the: closing means. v 2. The combination with a. cuteofif valye," of a reciprocatingengine, means for-nor: mally holding the valve in. its closed ost-'1. t-ion, means operated by a reciprocating par of the engine for releasing said valve openlj.- ing means to close the valve, consisting of an impulse arm carried by. the enginecros'shead, a trip disposed to be actuated by- 'said arm, and connections between the trip andfl the valve opening means, said connections comprising a bell-crank lever having;one.-7,5"

arm connected to an arm of the trip, said-{I valve having a notched member into enga e-.= ment with which the other arm of'thebe lcranit. lover is moved to hold the valve-in-its 2. open position in opposition to the closing'go means. In testimony whereof wehave hereunto setour hands in the presence or two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN J. RIPPER. JOHN BORNAND-ER.

W itncsscs:

M. (Insomnn, T. J. Timon. 

